Nigerian rice can compete favourably in global market – Nanono
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, says Nigerian rice can compete favourably in the global market.
This assertion is contained in a statement by the Director Information in the Ministry, Theodore Ogaziechi, made available to reporters on Sunday in Abuja.
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Nanono, according to the statement made the disclosure during a working visit to rice farms and mills of Stallion Group Limited, Popular Farms and Mill Limited, producers of Stallion rice in Kano.
The minister said that Nigerian rice would compete favourably in the global market the moment exportation began, stating that “if we maintain this momentum in the next two years, we may export rice to other countries.”
He announced that the ministry would convene a forum within the next four years for all stakeholders in the rice sub -sector to dialogue on how to improve on seedlings and farm inputs among others.
The minister lauded the Stallion Group for efforts towards improving rice production and creating jobs for Nigerians, just as he urged other investors to key into the agri-business because of its numerous financial benefits.
Nanono however, lamented the high cost of rice, saying that “I see no reason why a 50kg bag of rice should be sold for N17, 000. The maximum processing expense is N2, 000, making a total of N10, 500; it is unpatriotic to sell a bag more than N14, 000 to N15, 000.”
Earlier, the Managing Director, Popular Farms and Mill Limited, Amit Kumar Rai, had stated that Stallion Group Popular Farms and Mills Limited had invested over $70 million to boost production of agriculture business, especially rice and sesame in Nigeria.
He said that the company operates the biggest rice mill in Kano with an annual installed capacity of 430, 000 metric tonnes, adding that it has a consolidated capacity of 1.7 million metric tonnes.
According to him, the group is investing also in additional milling facilities locally, in order to obtain self-sufficiency in rice production, pointing out that the company organises training and distribution of rice farming tools to out growers across the rice producing states in Nigeria.
The statement said that the minister also visited Premier Seed Nigeria Limited and Value Seeds Limited, Zaria, Kaduna state, where he emphasised the overall goals of the policy principles of the agriculture promotion policy.
He stated that it would concentrate on providing an enabling environment for stakeholders at the federal and state levels to play their distinctive roles.
